Daughter not allowed to do separate Science GCSEs

[MissionImpossible3]

Dd is about to start year 11 at her private school. She took GCSEs in each Science subject this summer which she understood to be to decide on foundation or higher tier for next year. She obtained a B overall, was 1 point off an A in Chemistry and 5 points of an A in Biology. Physics is her worst subject and she obtained a C. Her Science teacher told her that this result meant she had to take combined Science. She is really upset, especially as we have always been told she can achieve in Science an d admits to not having tried very hard, as she didn't realise how important it was!!! Have emailed the school, but they are standing by their decision. Unfortunately, the teacher who felt she could do well, has left. This is my first post on here, but needed some advice on what to do next. Am a single mother with no family to discuss this with and some friends are anti private school so are a little unsupportive!
Thank you and sorry this is long

Stick to your guns. Meet the head - consider changing schools. Good luck.

The school is more worried about its results than your child. She is clearly capable of passing all triple science but possibly not getting straight As. I would speak to them again but bear in mind that their say is final

But it won't be separate science and combined science will it? Surely double or triple - so one-third chem, biol, physics whichever option?

I'd go with the school on this unless you really feel she is very good at science and definitely wants to do science A levels. The school may feel two high grades are better than three mediocre ones, and they may well be right. The main thing is that she realises that these exams are all important and works hard this year.

What is the school's normal grade requirement for progressing to single sciences?

As she "admits to not trying very hard", then I think you might find an uphill battle to persuade the school.

Unfortunately, your DD is learning the hard way round that there comes a stage when achievement, not just one teacher's view of your potential, is what will matter.

You need to be prepared to support you DD should the school not drop its normal requirements for her (and it is likely they won't - requiring a certain grade and sticking to it are absolutely normal for both state and private sectors). What is it she wants to do after A levels? What is best of the choices remaining to her?

And, of course, supportive messages about self-worth in general and what she can learn from this. If you are lucky, you and she will find the motivating angles from this, and that could make a huge difference to whether she learns to apply herself consistently.

It really doesn't matter. Of my very anti-science sons, one DS did triple and got BBB, another did double and got AB with a lot less trouble. Unless she's super-top-flight scientist, double is OK for most things. I was distraught when DS2 was "put down" to double science but five years down the road, it doesn't matter one jot.

Yes it will be Double not Triple , so still all 3 subjects. ds is doing Double , probably there is an element of the Science teachers wanting record best grades but also because he isn't going to purse Science A levels so doesn't need the additional pressure and can focus on the coursework so far. I'm confused though , either she has taken GCSEs and got those grades or she hasn't, she wouldn't take them again surely.

Thank you for your replies. She has taken P1, C1 and B1 on Edexcel board as core science. These give her one GCSE result overall. Next year she takes the additional sciences either as separated subjects or combined. In both she studies all subjects but will either end up with 3 GCSEs or one (two when added together with this one). All very confusing - to me anyway! She would like to do a Chemistry A level and I'm not sure if this will still be possible - her previous test results have all been A or A*.

You are right though, maybe she just has to learn the hard way that she needs to work to get the grades in future and this will hopefully motivate her. Does any one know whether if all results are combined for the GSCE, what effect a low score in one will have or do they take the two best results?

Tbh, with those grades for the P1 B1 C1 - the easiest papers - I think the school are making the right decision. They are going for quality not quantity - which is in your dd's interests IMO (if they just wanted as many points out of her as possible, she would be doing triple).

She should check with the school, or any school she wishes to move to, whether A level chemistry is possible without triple, but I think most say it is fine (not all schools offer triple to everyone who might want to do science A levels). She may have to achieve a certain grade to do A level at her school or elsewhere.

Yes, all the scores count so she will be looking at retakes if she wants an A or A* I would think.

Hello OP, my DD did the Edexcel triple science for GCSE last year. If they do the core and the additional papers they end up with double science, whereas if they add on the extension papers then they get triple science.

If your DD is considering Chemistry A level then I would say the triple science would provide a better and more thorough background. My DD does Chemistry A level and it is very difficult.

I agree, all the scores count towards the final score.

If I were you, I would ask for a meeting with the school and explain that you want her to do the triple science as a preparation for A level. Do you mind me asking - does the school have a secondary department and if so, do you intend to keep her there? The reason I ask is that my DD went to a private junior school and many of the decisions they took were based on the fact that they intended the children to stay, but that didn't apply to us as I always intended my DD to move.

Hope that helps - I know how worrying it is.

The issue of double vs triple mainly comes down to how many GCSE points the school will get for their league tables. Your daughter will still sit a chemistry paper and get a grade for it. If she gets an A in the Chem paper, most Sixth Forms will let her take a Chem AS level. My husband teaches Science and he says it is not always clear cut. For example, most schools start Triple Science in Year 9 with one of the disciplines, Year 10 the next, etc. this means he often has AS students with A in his subject but as they have not studied it since Year 9, really struggle. He says he would prefer a more recent gade as and more realistic indicator. The school are doing the right thing by your DD and I truly believe you should not worry. Focus on the lessons to be learnt so your DD does not over stretch herself but instead gains higher grades, not more grades.

My ds1 did double because he wants to do more humanities.Will she be short of a subject if she does double rather than triple. To be honest he managed an A * and an A without finding it too difficult and he hasn't a scientific bone in his body but he did say that he thought he would struggle with part 3 of the physics and chem , so I think he made the right decision. And 5 years on he is at a RG and its irrelevant , if she did only manage a B then maybe it's for the best.

I took double science at school because my school didn't offer triple science. I went on to do A levels in Science and Maths, and went to a Russell group university to study Chemistry. I am now about to start a job as a Chemistry teacher in an independent school, teaching Chemistry up to A level.

Taking two science GCSEs rather than three is not an obstacle to A levels and a career in Science.

That seems harsh. At my DC's school the requirement for triple science is to get a minimum of 6C at the end of year 9. They have 50 places for triple science and they take the top 50 children who got a 6C.

Why didn't she understand how important it was??

My DS2 school has a similar system but he was in the part of the year that got an A* in his core science. The time tabling for science in Y11 was the same whether you were a dual award or all separate sciences candidate so the triple award students had to cover twice as much material in the same time. It was an awful lot of material to cover and in fact the school failed to do this in the timetabled slots so had the students in in the holidays, after school etc. They literally finished as study leave started so no revision sessions run by the teachers or anything. If your school is going to try delivering the 2 and 3 papers to their able students in insufficient time doing dual award might be a blessing.

It is mostly possible to do science A levels without triple science but you would be playing catch up a bit presumably as wouldn't have covered the module 3 material. DS1 has a friend who did dual award, went on to do 3 sciences and maths A level and is going to read chemistry at Oxford. He did get AA in dual award and worked very hard in sixth form.

Thank you so much for your replies. This is my first time posting on a forum and I love the help you can get!!
Have emailed the school and been told they are having a meeting on Monday to discuss results and which set the girls will be in. He has assured me that she can still take A level even without triple Science. I hadn't thought about the material she will miss by taking the combined GCSE, so that is something else to ask about.
My other concern is that if she gets a good result in Chemistry and Biology, these could be downgraded by a not so good Physics result. It is a minefield as I want her to do what's best for her, but not lose out on what she could achieve.
Never realised this would all be so hard! And still have two more to go through it!

She has a good case for doing separate sciences given that her performance in each subject is different. A-grades are currency, so if she achieved ABC rather than BB, she would possibly have more opportunities.

If she is doing Edexcel, she can do Core, Additional and Further Science (3 awards). This is less risky than doing Biology, Chemistry and Physics. It's exactly the same amount of work and the same exam modules.

Could anyone explain how AQA exams will be done in June. DD expected to sit units 1 of the triple sciences in January, but now that this is off, will she sit 2 or 3 exams per science subject in June? The school didn't communicate anything about the change of plans.

Kata - it depends whether your school are doing 3 seperate subject as in Biology, chemistry and Physics or whether they are going down the core, additional and further science route. If it is the latter, then they will probably do core at the end of year 10 and the rest at the end of year 11. If it is the former then all exams will be at the end of year 11 (unless they take all 3 units for 1 subject in year10 which would be unlikely). You need to ask your school. HTH

Op - good luck tomorrow. DD1 has just finished her gcses. She did triple science but as an option, so extra timetabled lessons are given above double science. She has very much enjoyed it. Everyone told her that the extra units were difficult, but that was not the case in her experience. She said unit 3 built on previous work and actually made all the previous work make sense! Also the content of unit 3 was surprisingly less than the previous units - so if necessary (if doing double) your DD could cover this content herself prior to going on to AS level.

Thank you Anthracite and hellsbells. Didn't know about the Further Science, so that's a good option. Just have to see what they come back with tomorrow and then see if we need to go in for a meeting!

I know Harrow used to offer single sciences and boys could do two. So Biology and Chemistry for example with no Physics at all. DD1 did triple science but question papers in biology were bizarre in that she got a D in one paper, retook it, and got an A. She got A s overall so D result was odd. At this school top set were offered 3 separate sciences as the potential A level students were in this set and they were xpected to get an A* or A to continue. Are retakes allowed now? Double science has advantage of less work but a bad result in one can bring the overall result down. Best prep for A level is separate sciences.

This doesn't surprise me at all
I was surprised when I saw cricketballs' (a teacher ) comment on another thread :-
"Every school I have worked in have never stopped a child choosing an option because they are not likely to achieve higher than a C. (It's usually the other way round, i.e. high ability students 'talked out' of a subject/qualification).
I have groups every yearwith targets ranging from A* - E......it's hard work to ensure that work is differentiated but that's what we have been trained to do"

I think schools now are just machines that are driven by their Ofsted ranking
students are just numbers and their parents are viewed as pains and dealt with as individuals

I wonder whether this approach applies to both private and state schools

Porcupine, what an odd post!
Cricket balls is saying that students are treated as individuals, and are encouraged to take subjects that interest them, even where their grades might be be fairly average, ie a grade C.
I read her point regarding bright students as being that these students will be discouraged from taking "easier" exams.
Not sure how you read this as students being treated as numbers, and teachers only caring about grades?

Also, I think her post relates to students studying History, not science.